Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-08

In the Governments service for ninety
days and has been honorably discharged
is entitled toa pension if he IN make 1t
appear that he is suffering from any phys
ical or mental disability that interferes
with his earning a support, no matter
whether the injuries were received in the
service Of the Government or elsewhere.
There IS no doubt that this bill if signed
by the President will double the amount
paid for pensions, requiring the enormous
sum of $50, 900, 600 annually TO be appro-
priated, more than twice as much rs all
the combined powers OF Europe, with
their immense armies, pay.
This will make the pension list Of these
United States no longer q roll Of honor as
it should be, but a pauper list. Every
good citizen is willing that the brave men
who sustained bodily injuries or lost their
health while defending the nations flag
should be recompensed. But when 1t
comes to placing those who have sustained
no injuries while in the Government sery-
ice, but who have injured themselves like
thousands OF other citizens who have never
seen war, on an equal plane with these
whose limbs have been shattered by balls
and whose health has been ruined by
hardship in war, is carrying 3 good thing
a little too far. If the Government Is TO
proceed ON this principle, there are thou
sands of worthy citizens, widows and or
phans in the land who are unable 10 sup
port themselves, who have never seen war
or mad 4 near relative in the war, who are
equally deserving of being placed on the
pension list with those Congress HIS voted
&c put there.
Now if Congress had voted TO place every
man ON the pension list who ever served
in the army or navy of the United States,
Us 4 reward for his patriotism, a different
principle would have been involved and
the bill would not be 80 Objectionable as
the one at present. As this bill is, it in
wolves a wrong principle and offers a
premium to perjury and fraud. The
claim agents will scrape the country with
aItine tooth comb and every soldier will
have all the influence possible brought to
bear upon him TO make him swear hat
there is something wrong with his health,
and those who consent to deception will
be rewarded. while those whose manhood
revolts at Such an idea will 20 unrewarded.
\ bill OF. this kind was passed in 1878
for those who served in the revolution and
by reason OF reduced circumstances were
in need of assistance from their country
for support" II was estimated that not
more than 374 persons would be entitled
to he added to the list by this measure and
the cost would not Ice over $40, 900. But
in less thar two years Ii, 900 names We're
on the lkt and the cost WAS s., 100, 40 \
year. The New York Erening Post says Of
this fact:
Human nature remains the same in 1851
rs il was in Isis. The soldiers OF the civil
war are no more upright and self-reliant
than their fOrriathers who served in the
Revolution. The love OF ease and the
gree,l of gain are still Is potent to over
come the Scruples of conscience ~ they
were sixty or seventy years ago. The an
nouncement that any old soldier may get
an annuity for life by making himself out
dependent, will inevitably operate the
same way in the last quarter of the cent
my that it did in the first quarter.
Here is . good chance for President
Cleveland to show his veto style.